In 2007, Warner Home Video released a "Director’s Cut" on DVD and Blu-ray. This version added roughly 30 minutes of footage, bringing the runtime to 196 minutes. For fans, this was a revelation. The extended cut restores:

The Director's Cut focuses on a more grounded, realistic retelling of Homer's Iliad :

Additional scenes with his mother, Thetis, and more dialogue with Patroclus flesh out his obsession with eternal glory versus his fear of being forgotten.